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Obama song inspires school’s musical culture

The success of a 2009 music video based on Obama’s inauguration speech has transformed the culture at Weston CI, says teacher Anna Farago. (Michael Stuparyk / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

By Nicole BauteSpecial to the Star

Thu., Sept. 29, 2011

The day after Barack Obama’s inauguration, high-school English teacher Anna Farago invited students to stop by her office and sing a line from Obama’s speech.

They filmed, recorded and edited the footage into The Obama Song, a message of hope from the kids at Weston Collegiate Institute.

Then Farago popped it on YouTube and watched it go viral. It flitted around the world, garnering praise from politicians, celebrities and even Obama’s brother-in-law. More importantly, it sparked a new confidence in the students.

“It changed their idea of how they can change people’s views about them, by using social media to put out positive messages of what they are doing or what they can do,” says Farago, the 33-year-old recipient of this year’s OTIP beginning teacher award.

It also changed Weston Collegiate.

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Before the song, Joel Reid didn’t know anything about recording music; nor was he particularly interested in it.

“This whole culture grew out of that project,” says Reid, a Grade 10 student at the time. Students started spending their spare time at school, learning basic recording, mixing and software programs like GarageBand.

The 2009 event was also a tipping point for Farago, the beginning of a new, confident way of teaching that led to various initiatives, including the Weston to the World studio, where students can record their own music and audio at lunch and after class.

What was once a computer equipment storage room is now stocked with two Apple computers — “big Mac and little Mac” — and a keyboard, which students are trusted to treat like their own.

If they have talent, they can get air time on the morning announcements for “New Music Fridays” and be featured in the Weston Voice, the student newspaper that Farago is also, technically, in charge of. She says the kids do all the work, from editing to layout to circulation — she just holds the printing card, and the ability to veto stories.

Stepping back is part of her teaching philosophy.

“I do believe that we don’t have to have our hands in everything,” she says. “I think that it’s good if teachers set an example, maybe just set a prototype of what they’re thinking of, but then the students can take it and change it.”

Before she started teaching six years ago, Farago worked in editing, writing and television. It shows. She’s pro-technology in the classroom, and has websites for all her classes, including work blogs she updates from class. She also welcomes the use of cellphones or her iPad to look up information as needed. “It’s hard to ignore the world kids live with today,” she says. “Everything’s online.”

And she isn’t afraid to get personal.

Female students have asked the petite, muscular teacher how she loses weight. Farago isn’t fond of that question. Focused instead on health and strength, she launched Iron Sisters, a fitness and mentorship program for girls who might not consider themselves athletic.

Last year, 120 signed up for the twice-weekly sessions in the school fitness room. The program even has a summer session that involves trips to the grocery store, swimming and yoga in the park.

More than anything, she says, students need to know their teachers care about them. “You can’t discipline somebody if they don’t think you care about them,” she says. “So they need to know that first and foremost.”

They know. After all, it was Reid, her former student, who nominated Farago for the award.

“I’m really grateful to her,” Reid says. Now a York University student, he’s building a home studio so he can keep making music.

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